The Midlands Highway Alliance (MHA) will launch a new framework contract for its medium schemes worth up to £12m.

The successful quartet who have secured a place on the programme are a Tarmac/Carillion joint venture, Ringway, Bam Nuttall and Balfour Beatty/ Birse

The MSF1 (Medium Schemes Framework) will officially get underway next Wednesday at a signing event involving highways representatives from the 13 MHA authorities, the Highways Agency and the four winning contractors.

The MHA formed in 2007 and until now, has been using the Highways Agency’s Midlands Works Framework contract.

Matthew Lugg, Chair of the MHA said “Having its own contract for schemes with an upper value of £12m will benefit 13 local authorities across the Midlands plus the Highways Agency, as it will produce significant procurement efficiencies, speed up project delivery and enable us to work more closely with our contractors to improve performance and develop best practise.

“Of the MHA’s six work streams, the Medium Schemes is the single-most successful, already delivering huge financial benefits to members with innovation efficiencies in excess of £2m.”